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Up? Down? Curly? Straight? If this were a multiple-choice test, the answer would be All of the Above. For this year’s prom night, most Sonoma Valley girls will choose a hairstyle to complement the dress they plan to wear. Several Sonoma hairstylists say that “updos” are still winning the popularity contest, but note that there’s a trend toward looser, less-structured looks than in seasons past.
“The dresses are less formal this year,” says Dolores de Alba, owner of J.A.C. Hair Gallery and Blush Day Spa. “Girls are wearing dresses that are tea length or shorter so the hair is a little less formal, too.
“They still want fun stuff like updos, but even those aren’t so tight.”
At the Sunset Salon, several clients ask the stylist to soften the look by allowing some tendrils to curl down. “We’re seeing a lot of curls,” says Cristi Cigarroa, who uses bobby pins to nestle some crystals or tiny, round white balls in the girls’ updos.
Other girls prefer to accessorize by wearing little stars, flowers or sparkling stones in their updos, according to Caroline Cruz of C. C. Salon.
Updos and curls may be popular, adds Cruz, but teenagers who intend to wear a strapless dress often prefer wearing their hair long and straight. For those with naturally curly hair, Cruz straightens their locks by using special shampoos, conditioners and equipment like irons.
“I think there is a lot of long, flowing hair for young girls this year,” says Grazia Bianchi, who owns Grazia West. “Updos are always a favorites but kids today like a softer, warmer look, with hair pulled away from their face and soft curls worn down their back.”
If they do wear their hair up, the bun is now worn lower, nearer the nape of the neck, rather than on the top or back of the head, according to several stylists.
Cathy Jo, an independent contractor known as the “updo guru”, says an increasingly popular style is half-up/half-down. “The hair is pulled away from the face and tied or secured with bobby pins about halfway back. Then the rest of it is allowed to hang down, usually in waves.”
The trick to these softer, freer looks is to keep them from looking too contrived. So if backcombing is needed, for example, it has to be done artfully so that no one can tell. Most teenagers want their hair to look tousled, not stiff.
“Big hair is out,” says Cathy Jo (who uses no last name). “Girls prefer a romantic look but they want it simple and sophisticated.”
The longer the hair, of course, the more attention is required. Girls who want a style that requires extensive handling or specialty equipment like hot rollers and curling irons can expect to pay up to $75 for the pleasure at several Sonoma salons. Simpler styles usually cost between $45 and $65.
This is in addition to expenditures such as dresses, dinner and limousine service.
Another way teens are running up the bill is by having additional salon treatments such as nail care and waxing. They are paying more attention to overall grooming than their counterparts of five years ago.
“We are doing a lot of brow shaping,” says de Alba. “It’s not just about the hair or the outfit. Girls want great eyebrows and glowing skin.”
Pedicures are big – even bigger than manicures – and French tips are the nail treatment of choice. As for makeup, teenagers apparently prefer to do their own.
Local hair stylists say that, despite such streaks of independence, some of their clients do bring in photographs of celebrities (Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, Paris Hilton and Misha Barton have been recent favorites) to show the kind of look they want.
However, the consensus is that today’s style-conscious teens are thinking more for themselves than did previous generations.
Not so long ago, there was more peer pressure, and a tendency to have bigger, fancier and more expensive hair styles than the year before. But today’s high-school girls, says Dolores de Alba, don’t necessarily believe they have to wear a long gown or have really fancy hair. Now, she says, “Young people feel free to express their individuality.”
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Cathy Jo Styling Emma Cline’s hair.
Photo by Rick Bolen
J.A.C. Hair Gallery
561 Broadway, Sonoma
707.935-0116
C.C Salon
18615 Sonoma Hwy, Sonoma
707.935-8329
Sunset Salon
18989 Sonoma Hwy, Sonoma
707.996-1360
Grazia West
248 W. Napa St., Sonoma
707.996-6002
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